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62 years later, woman meets birth parents thanks to DNA test

Anna Taylor will be back in Louisiana to celebrate her dad’s birthday in December.

RESERVE, La. — Under a tent and socially distanced at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve, this is the first time Anna Taylor is seeing her father in person.

“I was nervous,” Taylor said.

Taylor, who lives in Texas, was given up for adoption at birth 62 years ago. With time on her hands during the COVID pandemic she put a DNA kit she got for Christmas to good use, tracking down both mom and dad back in May.

“I really never had a mom and dad growing up and to find the mom and dad now, it’s amazing. I mean, I can’t express it in words,” Taylor said. “I wish it would have happened sooner.”

She even has a half-sister, Rose, who lives in LaPlace.

“I’ve always wanted a sister,” Rose Lodrigues said.

When Taylor realized her Navy veteran father, also a COVID survivor, lived at the veterans home, the reunion she wanted couldn’t happen because of the pandemic.

“It’s been all happy emotions, but then sad emotions to because I finally find him and then I can’t see him. I can’t meet him after all these years,” Taylor said.

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With the veterans home now allowing visits, Taylor booked a flight, to soak up all 15 allowable minutes. Even with finally being able to see her father, one thing is still missing after so many years.  

“I’m a touchy, feely person and not to be able to hug him, that was hard,” she said. “It was really hard.”

While unable to touch, Taylor says she’s certainly able to love. Taylor is currently working on also meeting her mom who lives in Connecticut. She’ll be back in Louisiana to celebrate her dad’s birthday in December.

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